Itinerary

Accommodation

I’ve teamed up with the awesome boutique resort and hotel company Tripzuki who know all about the best and most unique places to stay in India. You can trust them not to put you up in some back end windowless room!

“We have a young team of writers, photographers and researchers that are drawn from what is the first Indian generation to really travel, and we know India better than anybody else.” – Deepti from Tripzuki

I’ll be staying at the ‘part boutique hotel, part art space and hang-out’, The Rose Hotel in Hauz Khas in Delhi. Described as a ‘cool French curio’ The Rose is in a cool location and carefully filled with antiques to set off the cool minimalistic décor. Pretty sure I’m going to love it here.

“We try to be the polar opposite of sites like Agoda and Booking.com; they’re like the McDonalds of hotel booking, we’re like your friendly corner deli (but with a lowest rates guarantee!).” – Deepti from Tripzuki

In Kerala I’m meeting up with two of my best friends and we’re staying at the Marari Beach Resort in Alleppey. I’m looking forward to the thatched cottages, the yoga and the massage along with ‘awesome food, excellent staff and boutique charm’.

“The properties have to look and feel good, this is a real rarity in India where a lot of hotels’ interiors are stuck in 2000, 1990, 1980 or even further back. Seriously, it’s shocking at times! Kitsch is OK, but dated is not.” – Deepti from Tripzuki

And in Goa we’re booked into the eco-friendly Yab Yum Huts for some morning yoga and beautiful beach action. The sanctuary-like huts line the beach in North Goa and the food is apparently one of the best things about it. Can’t wait to prove the positive reviews right!

Tours and activities

I’ve not got long in Delhi and I want to see as much as possible without being stressed or feeling rushed, so I’ve decided to take advantage of the Tripzuki tour planning service. I’ve paid £32 for a driver for the day to take me on an awesome one-day tour, as recommended by one of the Tripzuki writers Deepti. I’ve got quite a few things I want to see, and a few things I need to eat. I figured doing it in style with a private driver was the best way to get in as much as possible for the time I have. And it’ll be a good and safe introduction to India on my first day there.

Getting around

My travel when I’m by myself is sorted – in the form of the tours and private chauffeurs I listed above – when I’m with my friends we can easily get taxis between us. We have booked onto some trains though – from Kerala to Goa and Goa to Mumbai. Unfortunately this is where the travelling India in style could fall down as we were unable to book into the upper class carriages. From what I’ve heard from other travellers, these two trips in second class are going to be quite the adventure!

I’m really looking forward to India. It’s somewhere I’ve wanted to travel to for a long time, especially since reading Shantaram. I’m so glad the three of us have made it happen.

If you have any tips you think will fit in my itinerary – let me know below!

Awesome! Ahh....sounds like a perfect India trip. We are planning to India at some point but as the boyf is ethnically Indian with some family out there we want to do it in style and really enjoy it to. Can't wait to follow your adventures.x

Knowing someone out here will definitely be cool and more of a unique experience too. It's had its ups and downs so far but I've just met with some friends so my final two weeks in Asia – for this trip – are sure to be good ones :)